Dennis Karpowitz, Ph.D.: Helps for Depression

Elements of Therapeutic Lifestyle Change for Mild to Moderate Depression

Exercise

"Three times a week get 35 minutes of aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise is anything like running, walking fast, biking, or playing basketball, that gets your heartrate elevated to about 120-160 beats per minute. Anaerobic exercise (like yoga or weightlifting) is better than nothing, but the strongest antidepressant effects have been observed from aerobic exercise. Lots of people report that finding a regular exercise partner and routine helps them stay motivated."

Omega-3 fatty acid supplements

"You can buy these at a drugstore or health food store. Look for a brand that will give you 1000 mg of EPA and 500 mg of DHA per day. This is the amount that has been shown in studies to be beneficial to people with depression."

"You can take these even if you are on antidepressant medication; there are no known interactions with drugs. The only side effects our patients have reported are that they sometimes burp up a fishy taste after taking them. Solutions to this problem are to freeze the pills and take them right before a meal. If all else fails, there is a liquid form available that some people prefer."

Light Exposure

"This element of the protocol is most helpful to people who notice that there is a seasonal component to their depression. We recommend that people get at least 30 minutes of bright light exposure per day. You can actually go outside in the sun (take off the sunglasses, but leave on the sunscreen!) or get light exposure from a special light box that emits the same amount of light (10,000 lux)."

"You can try www.LightTherapyProducts.com to order a light box; a good one costs around $170. You should try to get light exposure at the same time every day. Some people like to sit by it while they eat breakfast and read the paper. Some like to sit by it while they read or study in the evening. Experiment to see what works best for you. And don’t miss a day of light exposure if you can help it. This is something that will only work for you cumulatively if you are consistent!"

Anti-rumination Strategies

"Rumination is the habit that many depressed people get into of dwelling on their negative thoughts. Rather than coming up with a solution to a problem and acting on it, people with depression often let their negative thoughts spiral out of control. It is important to recognize rumination for what it is and put a stop to it immediately. Rumination only makes peoples’ moods worse. When you find yourself doing it, do one of these things: call a friend, exercise, write down the negative thoughts in a journal, or do some other pleasant activity (like knitting, reading, or another hobby)."

Social Support

"You have probably noticed that as you get more depressed, you are less motivated to seek out others for socializing. You must try to spend as much time as possible with others. This is a powerful way to distract yourself from rumination and get you the support you need."

Sleep Hygiene

"You need to get 8 hours of sleep per night. One of the biggest risk factors for depression is sleep deprivation. Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every night. Prepare yourself for bed by having a “bedtime ritual”. Dim the lights, turn off the TV and computer, put on your PJs, and do a quiet activity like read. Avoid caffeine and alcohol for several hours before you plan to go to bed."

(from Stephen Ilardi, Ph.D., The Depression Cure)

Book Resources

Addis, Michael E. and Martell, Christopher R. (2004). Overcoming Depression One Step at a Time: The New Behavioral Activation Approach to Getting Your Life Back.

Amen, Daniel G. and Routh, Lisa C. (2004). Healing Anxiety and Depression.

Beck, Aaron T. and Alford, Brad A. (2008). Depression: Causes and Treatment, 2^nd Ed.

Beck, Judith S. (1995). Cognitive Therapy: Basics and Beyond.

Copeland, Mary Ellen and McKay Matthew (eds.) (2002). The Depression Workbook: A Guide for Living with Depression and Manic Depression, Second Edition.

Ilardi, Stephen S. (2010). The Depression Cure: The Six-Step program to beat depression without drugs. Philadelphia, PA: Da Capo Press.

Knaus, William J. and Ellis, Albert (2006). The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Depression: A Step-by-step Program (Workbook).

Luciani, Joseph J. (2006). Self-Coaching: The Powerful Program to Beat Anxiety and Depression, 2nd Edition.

Strosahl, Kirk D. and Robinson, Patricia J. (2008). The Mindfulness & Acceptance Workbook for Depression: Using Acceptance & Commitment Therapy to Move Through Depression & Create a Life Worth Living (Workbook).

Williams, Mark, Teasdale, John, Segal, Zindel, and Kobat-Zinn, Jon (2007). The Mindful Way through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness.

Resources for dealing with depression from Deseret Book

Reaching for Hope: An LDS Perspective on Recovering from Depression

by Meghan Decker and Betsy Chatlin, sku 4028488, Price: $24.99